Weston under Penyard brings together architectural history, remembrance and walking opportunities. Parts of St Lawrence date back to the late 12th century; the Penyard Park Trail offers a choice of two circular walking routes. Other points of interest include a war memorial, historic buildings and traces of the Roman settlement of Ariconium. If you are looking for a holiday rental in Weston under Penyard, these themes can help you explore the area according to your interests: church architecture, local history or walking each offer a different perspective.
St Lawrence and its architectural history
St Lawrence is a 14th-century church with an arcade dating from the late 12th century and remains from the 13th century. The tower dates from the mid-14th century. Diagonal buttresses, a north-east stair turret and a battlemented parapet are among its architectural features. These dates point to several building phases within the church complex: older elements and the tower reflect different centuries. Anyone interested in historic architecture can focus on individual parts of the building rather than treating it as having one general construction date.
Remembrance and historic buildings
The Weston under Penyard War Memorial commemorates the First World War and was erected around 1920. Names from the Second World War were added later. It is designed as a sturdy granite Cross of Sacrifice with bronze plaques. This makes it possible to distinguish the original dedication from the later addition.
Weston Hall is a house dating from around 1600 with earlier remains. At Bollitree Castle, a barn and the walls enclosing the courtyard form a mock fortress dating from the mid-18th century; some medieval fragments are incorporated into it. The contrast makes the different layers of history visible: Weston Hall dates from around 1600, while Bollitree is an 18th-century complex with individual medieval elements. The former Baptist chapel at Ryeford has foundations dating from around 1682, a dressed sandstone façade and a pitched slate roof.
Walks and Roman traces
The Penyard Park Trail offers a 5.9-mile circular walk as well as a shorter 3.2-mile option. The two routes differ in length by 2.7 miles, making them easy to compare directly. The walk offers views across the fields of Weston towards May Hill and, in the distance, the Malvern Hills. The remains of Penyard Castle lie on private farmland and are not open to the public, but they can be viewed from the Penyard Park Trail.
Another historical highlight is the circular route through Bollitree, Bury Hill and Pontshill: it passes through the area where the industrial Roman town of Ariconium once stood. Ariconium is about half a mile from Weston under Penyard and is the site of a Roman station. It appears to have been an area of intensive ironworking, with smelting furnaces and forges.
Discover more destinations: Burghill, Titley, Kinnersley, Whitney-On-Wye, Leominster, Pontrilas, Bromyard, Fownhope.
For the wider travel overview: County Of Herefordshire.
